Cubs vs. Pirates Prediction and Odds for Thursday, June 23 (Pittsburgh's Bat's Look to Stay Hot)
By Matt De Saro
It’s not often that the Pittsburgh Pirates go on a winning streak, but here we are. Granted, they won a modest three games in a row. But, it was the first time they had accomplished that feat since May.
Two of those wins came against the Chicago Cubs during their current four-game series at home. The Pirates' offense scored 25 runs in their previous three games and looks very un-Pirate-like right now. Can they keep it going in this series finale?
Here are the odds for this game with odds from consensus sportsbooks.
Cubs vs. Pirates Odds, Run Line, and Total
Run Line
- Cubs: -1.5 (+130)
- Pirates: +1.5 (-150)
Moneyline:
- Cubs: -130
- Pirates: +110
Total:
- Total 8 (Over -105/Under -115)
Cubs vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick
I have to admit I don’t know what to make of Justin Steele as he heads into this start for the Pirates. He has a 4.27 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 59 innings this season which is not great. But, in three starts this month, his ERA is sitting at 1.89.
While this suggests that Steele is on an upswing, I’m not convinced. See, Steele is one of those strange cases where a player is far worse on the road than they are at home. In this case, Steele has a 3.30 ERA at home and a 7.04 ERA on the road.
Coincidentally, his last three starts have all come at home. Hence the great ERA in June. He is 0-2 with an OBA of .319 on the road with 22 walks compared with 33 strikeouts. That brings me to my other issue with Steele. He walks away too many batters. In his last three games, he’s struck out seven while walking six.
Steele would give the Pirates a great chance to win this game were it not for their starter, Jose Quintana. While Steele has been masquerading as a good pitcher this month, Quintana has been flat-out bad. He is 0-2 with a 6.50 ERA in 18 innings over his last four starts and has allowed five home runs in his last two games.
These two teams aren’t the best, but the total for this game is pretty low at eight. I think that these two pitchers are volatile enough to warrant an OVER play here.
Pick: OVER 8 (-105)
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